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Aid flows to tsunami-hit Samoas as deaths hit 119
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-10-01 09:44

Aid flows to tsunami-hit Samoas as deaths hit 119
A sailboat sits on the dock in Pago Pago Harbor after an earthquake caused a tsunami on the island of American Samoa, September 30, 2009. [Agencies]

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said it issued an alert, but the waves got to the islands so quickly that residents only had about 10 minutes to respond. Another system designed to alert aid agencies suffered a hardware malfunction that delayed notification, but that did not affect island residents.

The quake was centered about 120 miles (190 kilometers) south of the islands of Samoa, which has about 220,000 people, and American Samoa, a US territory of 65,000.

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Another strong underwater earthquake rocked western Indonesia Wednesday, briefly triggering a tsunami alert along the Indian Ocean. The 7.6-magnitude quake toppled buildings, cut power and triggered a landslide on Sumatra island, and at least 75 people were reported killed. Experts said the seismic events were not related.

Hampered by power and communications outages, officials in the South Pacific islands struggled to determine casualties and damage.

Samoa National Disaster Management committee member Filomina Nelson told New Zealand's National Radio the number of dead in her country had reached 83, mostly elderly and young children. At least 30 people were killed on American Samoa, Gov. Togiola Tulafono said.

Authorities in Tonga, southwest of the Samoas, confirmed at least six dead and four missing, according to Tongan government spokesman Lopeti Senituli. He said the waves practically flattened two of the island's three villages. The government dispatched a boat with supplies to the island to help its more than 1,000 residents.

In Pago Pago, the streets and fields were filled with debris, mud, overturned cars and boats. Several buildings in the city -- just a few feet above sea level -- were flattened. Power was expected to be out in some areas for up to a month and officials said some 2,200 people were in seven shelters across the island.

"Right now, we're focused on bringing in the assistance for people that have been injured, and for the immediate needs of the tens of thousands of survivors down there," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.

Reinforcements were on the way, including a Navy frigate and two huge Air Force cargo planes soon to leave from Hawaii.

A Coast Guard C-130 plane loaded with aid and carrying Federal Emergency Management Agency officials flew from Hawaii to American Samoa's capital of Pago Pago, where debris had been cleared from runways so emergency planes could land. President Barack Obama declared a major disaster for American Samoa.

English said the temporary morgue and the body identification team were sent to Samoa after local officials expressed concern "about the growing death toll."

Hundreds of people bombarded American Samoa's radio stations with requests to announce the names of their missing loved ones. Broadcasters urged listeners to contact their families immediately.

In Carson, California, High Chief Loa Pele Faletogo, president of the Samoan Federation of America, comforted Samoans in the US who came to him seeking news of their relatives. The chief said he learned the body of one of his cousins, in her 60s, was found floating along the shore.

All 65 employees at the National Park of American Samoa were accounted for, said Holly Bundock, spokeswoman for the National Park Service's Pacific West Region in Oakland, California. The park service has 13 permanent workers and between 30 and 50 volunteers, depending on the time of year.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs said three Australians were among the dead. The British Foreign Office said one Briton was missing and presumed dead.

While the earthquake and tsunami were big, they were not on the same scale of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 230,000 in a dozen countries across Asia.